


Made and Then Undone

by voleuse



Category: Farscape
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2005-10-29
Updated: 2005-10-29
Packaged: 2017-10-04 09:15:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 592
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28356
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/voleuse/pseuds/voleuse
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p><em>The king is aware that parenting is a loose science</em>.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Made and Then Undone

**Author's Note:**

> Spoilers for 2.13 and PKW. Title and summary adapted from Melissa Kirsch's _King Lear Considers What He's Wrought_.

The baby gurgles in his arms, and John bounces him twice, shuffling sideways.

"Little D," he croons, bending his head to touch his lips to the baby's head.

A pulse pistol clacks, sliding into readiness, and he looks up to see Aeryn standing in the doorway.

"John." She's smiling at Little D, but her voice is all concern. "You're sure you'll be all right?"

"I used to babysit my nephew when he was this small." He grins. "I'll be fine. Go ahead, make sure Rygel doesn't get himself mugged."

She looks skeptical, but he doesn't mind. Olivia used to give him that look, too.

When the others have gone, he holds the baby up, sticks his tongue out and makes him laugh.

"Just you and me, now," he says. "Just the boys."

*

 

He takes the baby up to see the stars again.

No matter how long he's out in the galaxy, no matter how many other planets he sees, or aliens he encounters, this never gets old.

Just him, the baby, and the stars.

"Check it out," he says. "When I was a kid, all I got was a telescope."

The baby laughs, a happy and open squeal. John dances him to the edge and they stare into the black together.

He turns on his heel, tries to orient himself. Takes three steps to the right, and points at a sharp angle.

"And over there, D," he whispers, "is your big sister."

Little D'Argo wiggles.

"Yeah." John tightens his hold on the baby, slightly. "Maybe you'll get to meet her. Someday."

*

 

It's been a while since he's thought of that planet. Of Katralla, and Jenavia. Sometimes, he catches glimpses of their faces in his nightmares.

But until Little D came along, he'd managed to not think about the baby.

She's not born yet, won't be born for at least seventy-odd years.

Now that he remembers her, though, he misses her. Like a deep ache in the marrow of his bones.

He wishes he had tried, just once, to circumvent Einstein and take a detour. To catch one glimpse of her.

What shade of brown will her hair be? Will she like to sing? Will she have friends, _real_ friends?

He wants to look into her eyes. Watch her hold court and have tea parties, like Olivia did when they were young.

He wonders if they even _have_ tea parties, on that planet.

He wishes he could meet her, just once.

He doesn't even know if they'll tell her his name.

*

 

John's lying in bed when Aeryn returns. Little D'Argo is curled up against his side.

"Hey," he greets her, his voice a soft murmur. "How'd it go."

"Fine." She stows her guns, lets her hair down. "We're still alive."

"That's something." He rises on his elbow, careful not to jar the baby.

Aeryn comes over, and he draws her down for a long, deliberate kiss.

When their lips part, she looks at him oddly. "Are you all right?"

"I can't kiss my wife?" he asks.

She cups his face with one hand, strokes his jaw with her thumb. "John," she says.

"Yeah." He sighs, slides an arm around her hips. "The royal planet."

It takes her a moment, but he sees the lines of her face rearrange when she remembers.

"Do you want to go back?" she asks, finally. "To see them?"

Her skin is warm, even through her clothes, and he leans his forehead against her hand.

"No," he says. "Not yet."

And when she kisses him again, she tastes sweet.


End file.
